Note: If you’re new to this blog and wondering what resources provide “pedigree” of these vessels, a fantastic reference work in progress is tugboatinformation.com Start out by clicking the letter of the company name to find the fleets, present and past.

This is what a “Kirbyfied” Barbara C looks like today. Scroll through to the bottom of that Kirby Corporation link to see their string of acquisitions.

Barbara C (now Arabian Sea) used to be sibling to Donald C (now Med Sea); as Seas, you could call them once-and-future siblings. If you squint while looking at Med Sea‘s stack, the shadow outlining one side of the logo board there almost looks like a crescent.

How long til Med Sea loses its green for white?

Will all the former K-Sea boats, like Aegean, be repainted . . . ?

Or Tasman and

Taurus?

Another tool is the NOAA documentation registry. Here you just type in vessel name. You’ll find, e.g., that Maria J used to be called Jesus Saves. I took this fotos last Thursday in the rich colors of 7 am near Howland Hook container port, one of my “offices,” where NYK Constellation was having containers shifted. By now, Constellation has been in and back of Norfolk and Savannah and is heading ultimately through the Canal and out west . . .

Best fashions-in-fur award goes to Resolute, which stated tools here says has been called that since 1975.

All fotos in the past week by will Van Dorp. Time to head to my bread-and-butter job, two hours early, so that I can show some face time along the KVK.

Jed, it was the Janice Ann Reinauer that had the bow pudding. The Franklyn and the Dean also had this back in the day and was made by Capt.Mickey Armstrong. I always enjoyed making rope fenders and was taught this art by the Armstrong brothers.They also made the smal upper coops on the Reinaurer Tugs and the Tug Quinames.

I don’t think your going to see the men at K-Sea/Kirby going out of their way to repaint the tugs right now. They have been working without a contract for over a year now. The negotiating committee is running into a lot of problems with Kirby’s management. Management wants to cut pay and also wants to cut crews on tug and barge units from 7 men to 5.And end equal time which would also eliminate jobs.This is very unsafe and would make guys do 2 jobs. The men and women of K-Sea/Kirby have now formed their own in house union and pulled out of Local 333, so hopefully both sides can come to terms! I wish them luck,they have some very capable men with a representative from each position at the table now looking out for their best interests.

Yes Harold they were, Russ Jr. also is a good guy & good boatman, and was Capt. of the Dean when it still had a bow pudding. I think Jr. still works at Reinauer, not sure I havent spoken to him in years.